•nm 


m 

I 


REPUBLIC 

A  Journal  of  Opinion 


VOI^.  XIV 
NO.    17  7 


PART    TWO 


MARCH 

Sa.  1918 


Labor  War  Ai 


ims 


i 


i 


Full    text    of    the    agreement 

on  war  aims  just  aao'^tea 

by    the     Inter  "Alii ea 

Laoor  and  Socialist 

Conference  in 

London 


m 
.J 

i 


'V 


O         R         E         W         O         R         D 


^TlHE  following  statement  of  war  aims  or  peace  conditions  which 
J.  was  formulated  by  the  Inter-Allied  Labor  Conference  in  Lon- 
don is  reprinted  from  the  London  Times  of  February  2 5 /A  last. 
It  differs  from  similar  statements  which  have  preceded  it  in  one  im- 
portant respect.  All  the  factions  in  the  pro-war  labor  and  socialist 
parties  in  the  Western  European  democracies  endorse  it.  They 
had  been  unable  to  reach  any  such  complete  agreement  at  their 
previous  conferences  and  their  new  unanimity  has  given  to  their 
programme  a  vastly  increased  weight.  When  the  Stockholm 
Conference  was  proposed  last  summer  the  socialist  and  labor 
parties  were  embarrassed  by  internal  divisions.  Now  they  are 
united,  and  if  they  are  joined,  as  they  hope  to  be,  by  the  American 
labor  organizations,  they  should  be  powerful  enough  to  secure  from 
their  governments  consent  to  the  gathering  of  the  proposed  inter- 
belligerent  conference.  Just  as  the  labor  and  socialist  parties  of  the 
western  Allies  have  succeeded,  where  their  governments  have 
failed,  in  reaching  a  common  statement  of  war  aims,  so  the  labor 
and  socialist  parties  of  the  whole  world  may  reach  a  similar  agree- 
ment in  spite  of  the  chasm  which  still  divides  the  belligerent  govern- 
ments. If  they  can,  its  effect  is  certain  to  be  important  and  may  be 
decisive.  As  Mr.  Arthur  Henderson  has  recently  declared:  "Peace 
will  come  when  the  working  class  movement  has  discovered  by  inter- 
change of  views  the  conditions  of  an  honorable  and  democratic  peace, 
worthy  of  the  unimaginable  sacrifices  the  people  have  made,  and  has 
pressed  these  terms  upon  the  several  governments  with  the  resolute 
declaration  that  peace  must  be  made  on  these  terms  and  no  other." 


THE    NEW    REPUBLIC 


Inter-Allied  Labor  War  Aims 


THE  following  is  the  full  text  of  the  "  Memor- 
andum on  War  Aims  "  adopted  by  the  Inter- 
Allied  Labor  and  Socialist  Conference  in 
London : 

The  War 

L — The  Inter-Allied  Conference  declares  that 
whatever  may  have  been  the  causes  of  the  outbreak 
of  war  it  is  clear  that  the  peoples  of  Europe,  who 
are  necessarily  the  chief  sufferers  from  its  horrors, 
had  themselves  no  hand  in  it.  Their  common  in- 
terest is  now  so  to  conduct  the  terrible  struggle  in 
which  they  find  themselves  engaged  as  to  bring  it, 
as  soon  as  may  be  possible,  to  an  issue  in  a  secure 
and  lasting  peace  for  the  world. 

The  Conference  sees  no  reason  to  depart  from 
the  following  declaration  unanimously  agreed  to  at 
the  Conference  of  the  Socialist  and  Labor  Parties 
of  the  Allied  Nations  on  February  14,  1915  : 

"  This  Conference  cannot  ignore  the  profound 
general  causes  of  the  European  conflict,  itself  a 
monstrous  product  of  -the  antagonisms  which  tear 
asunder  capitalist  society  and  of  the  policy  of  colo- 
nial dependencies  and  aggressive  imperialism, 
against  which  International  Socialism  has  never 
ceased  to  fight,  and  in  which  every  government  has 
its  share  of  responsibility. 

"  The  invasion  of  Belgium  and  France  by  the 
German  armies  threatens  the  very  existence  of  in- 
dependent nationalities  and  strikes  a  blow  at  all 
faith  in  treaties.  In  these  circumstances  a  victory 
for  German  imperialism  would  be  the  defeat  and 
the  destruction  of  democracy  and  liberty  in  Europe. 
The  Socialists  of  Great  Britain,  Belgium,  France 
and  Russia  do  not  pursue  the  political  and  eco- 
nomic crushing  of  Germany;  they  are  not  at  war 
with  the  peoples  of  Germany  and  Austria,  but  only 
with  the  governments  of  those  countries  by  which 
they  are  oppressed.  They  demand  that  Belgium 
shall  be  liberated  and  compensated.  They  desire 
that  the  question  of  Poland  shall  be  settled  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  wishes  of  the  Polish  people, 
either  in  the  sense  of  autonomy  in  the  midst  of 
another  state,  or  in  that  of  complete  independence. 
They  wish  that  throughout  all  Europe,  from  Alsace- 
Lorraine  to  the  Balkans,  those  populations  that 
have  been  annexed  by  force  shall  receive  the  right 
freely  to  dispose  of  themselves. 

"  While  inflexibly  resolved  to  fight  until  victory 
is  achieved  to  accomplish  this  task  of  liberation,  the 
Socialists  are  none  the  less  resolved  to  resist  any 
attempt  to  transform  this  defensive  war  into  a  war 
of  conquest,  which  would  only  prepare  fresh  con- 


flicts, create  new  grievances  and  subject  various 
peoples  more  than  ever  to  the  double  plague  of 
armaments  and  war. 

"  Satisfied  that  they  are  remaining  true  to  the 
principles  of  the  International,  the  members  of  the 
Conference  express  the  hope  that  the  working 
classes  of  all  the  different  countries  will  before  long 
find  themselves  united  again  in  their  struggle 
against  militarism  and  capitalist  imperialism.  The 
victory  of  the  Allied  Powers  must  be  a  victory  for 
popular  liberty,  for  unity,  independence  and  auto- 
nomy of  the  nations  in  the  peaceful  federation  oi 
the  United  States  of  Europe  and  the  world." 

Making  the  World  Safe  for  Democracy 

II. — Whatever  may  have  been  the  objects  for 
which  the  war  was  begun  the  fundamental  purpose 
of  the  Inter-Allied  Conference  in  supporting  the 
continuance  of  the  struggle  is  that  the  world  may 
henceforth  be  made  safe  for  democracy. 

Of  all  the  conditions  of  peace  none  is  so  impor- 
tant to  the  peoples  of  the  world  as  that  there  should 
be  henceforth  on  earth  no  more  war. 

Whoever  triumphs,  the  peoples  will  have  lost 
unless  an  international  system  is  established  which 
will  prevent  war.  What  would  it  mean  to  declare 
the  right  of  peoples  to  self-determination  if  this 
right  were  left  at  the  mercy  of  new  violations,  and 
was  not  protected  by  a  super-national  authority? 
That  authority  can  be  no  other  than  the  League  of 
Nations,  in  which  not  only  all  the  present  belliget' 
ents,  but  every  other  independent  state,  should  he 
pressed  to  join. 

The  constitution  of  such  a  League  of  Nations 
implies  the  immediate  establishment  of  an  Inter- 
national High  Court,  not  only  for  the  settlement  of 
all  disputes  between  states  that  are  of  justiciable 
nature,  but  also  for  prompt  and  effective  mediation 
between  states  in  other  issues  that  vitally  interest 
the  power  or  honor  of  such  states.  It  is  also  under 
the  control  of  the  League  of  Nations  that  the  con- 
sultation of  peoples  for  purposes  of  self-determina- 
tion must  be  organized.  This  popular  right  can  be 
vindicated  only  by  popular  vote.  The  League  of  Na- 
tions shall  establish  the  procedure  of  international 
jurisdiction,  fix  the  methods  which  will  maintain  the 
freedom  and  security  of  the  election,  restore  the 
political  rights  of  individuals  which  violence  and 
conquest  may  have  injured,  repress  any  attempt  to 
use  pressure  or  corruption,  and  prevent  any  sub- 
sequent reprisals.  It  will  be  also  necessary  to  form 
an  International  Legislature,  in  which  the  represen- 
tatives of  every  civilized  state  would  have  their  al- 


OT 


371133 


THE    NEW    REPUBLIC 


lotted  share  and  energetically  to  push  forward,  step 
by  step,  the  development  of  international  legislation 
agreed  to  by,  and  definitely  binding  upon,  the  sev- 
eral states. 

By  a  solemn  agreement  all  the  states  and  peo- 
ples consulted  shall  pledge  themselves  to  submit 
every  issue  between  two  or  more  of  them  for  settle- 
ment as  aforesaid.  Refusal  to  accept  arbitration 
or  to  submit  to  the  settlement  will  imply  deliberate 
aggression,  and  all  the  nations  will  necessarily  have 
to  make  common  cause,  by  using  any  and  every 
means  at  their  disposal,  either  economical  or  mili- 
tary, against  any  state  or  states  refusing  to  sub- 
mit to  the  arbitration  award,  or  attempting  to  break 
the  world's  covenant  of  peace. 

But  the  sincere  acceptance  of  the  rules  and  de- 
cisions of  the  super-national  authority  implies  com- 
plete democratization  in  all  countries;  the  removal 
of  all  the  arbitrary  powers  who,  until  now,  have  as- 
sumed the  right  of  choosing  between  peace  and 
war;  the  maintenance  or  creation  of  legislatures 
elected  by  and  on  behalf  of  the  sovereign  right  of 
the  people;  the  suppression  of  secret  diplomacy,  to 
be  replaced  by  the  conduct  of  foreign  policy  under 
the  control  of  popular  legislatures,  and  the  publica- 
tion of  all  treaties,  which  must  never  be  in  contra- 
vention of  the  stipulation  of  the  League  of  Na- 
tions, with  the  absolute  responsibility  of  the  gov- 
ernment, and  more  particularly  of  the  foreign  min- 
ister of  each  country  to  its  legislature. 

Only  such  a  policy  will  enforce  the  frank  aban- 
donment of  every  form  of  imperialism.  When  based 
on  universal  democracy,  in  a  world  in  which  effec- 
tive international  guarantees  against  aggression  have 
been  secured,  the  League  of  Nations  will  achieve 
the  complete  suppression  of  force  as  the  means  of 
settling  international  differences. 

The  League  of  Nations,  in  order  to  prepare  for 
the  concerted  abolition  of  compulsory  military  serv- 
ice in  all  countries,  must  first  take  steps  for  the  pro- 
hibition of  fresh  armaments  on  land  and  sea  and  for 
the  common  limitation  of  the  existing  armaments 
by  which  aU  the  peoples  are  burdened;  as  well  as 
the  control  of  war  manufactures  and  the  enforce- 
ment of  such  agreements  as  may  be  agreed  to  there- 
upon. The  states  must  undertake  such  manufac- 
tures themselves,  so  as  entirely  to  abolish  profit- 
making  armament  firms,  whose  pecuniary  interest 
lies  always  in  the  war  scares  and  progressive  com- 
petition in  the  preparation  for  war. 

The  nations,  being  armed  solely  for  self-defense 
and  for  such  action  as  the  League  of  Nations  may 
ask  them  to  take  in  defense  of  international  right, 
will  be  left  free,  under  international  control  either 
to  create  a  voluntarily  recruited  force  or  to  or- 
ganize the  nation  for  defense  without  professional 
armies  for  long  terms  of  military  service. 


To  give  effect  to  the  above  principles,  the  Inter- 
Allied  Conference  declares  that  the  rules  upon 
which  the  League  of  Nations  will  be  founded  must 
be  included  in  the  treaty  of  peace,  and  will  hence- 
forth become  the  basis  of  the  settlement  of  differ- 
ences. In  that  spirit  the  Conference  expresses  its 
agreement  with  the  propositions  put  forward  by 
President  Wilson  in  his  last  message : 

( 1 )  That  each  part  of  the  final  settlement  must 
be  based  upon  the  essential  justice  of  that  particular 
case,  and  upon  such  adjustments  as  are  most  likely 
to  bring  a  peace  that  will  be  permanent. 

(2)  That  peoples  and  provinces  are  not  to  be 
bartered  about  from  sovereignty  to  sovereignty  as 
if  they  were  mere  chattels  and  pawns  in  a  game, 
even  the  great  game  now  forever  discredited  of 
the  balance  of  power;  but  that 

(3)  Every  territorial  settlement  involved  in  this 
war  must  be  made  in  the  interest  and  for  the  benefit 
of  the  populations  concerned,  and  not  as  a  part  of 
any  mere  adjustments  of  compromise  of  claims 
amongst  rival  states. 

(4)  That  all  well-defined  national  aspirations 
shall  be  accorded  the  utmost  satisfaction  that  can  be 
accorded  them  without  introducing  new  or  perpetu- 
ating old  elements  of  discord  and  antagonism  that 
would  be  likely  in  time  to  break  the  peace  of 
Europe,  and,  consequently,  of  the  world. 

Territorial  Questions 

III. — The  Inter-Allied  Conference  considers  that 
the  proclamation  of  principles  of  international  law 
accepted  by  all  nations,  and  the  substitution  of  a 
regular  procedure  for  the  forceful  acts  by  which 
states  calling  themselves  sovereign  have  hitherto 
adjusted  their  differences — in  short,  the  establish- 
ment of  a  League  of  Nations — gives  an  entirely 
new  aspect  to  territorial  problems. 

The  old  diplomacy  and  the  yearnings  after  domi- 
nation by  states,  or  even  by  peoples,  which  during 
the  whole  of  the  nineteenth  century  have  taken  ad- 
vantage of  and  corrupted  the  aspirations  of  nation- 
alities, have  brought  Europe  to  a  condition  of 
anarchy  and  disorder  which  have  led  Inevitably  to 
the  present  catastrophe. 

The  Conference  declares  it  to  be  the  duty  of  the 
Labor  and  Socialist  movement  to  suppress  without 
hesitation  the  imperialist  designs  in  the  various 
states  which  have  led  one  government  after  another 
to  seek,  by  the  triumph  of  military  force,  to  acquire 
either  new  territories  or  economic  advantage. 

The  establishment  of  a  system  of  International 
law  and  the  guarantees  afforded  by  a  League  of 
Nations,  ought  to  remove  the  last  excuse  for  those 
strategic  protections  which  nations  have  hitherto 
felt  bound  to  require. 

It  is  the  supreme  principle  of  the  right  of  each 


[41 


THE    NEW    REPUBLIC 


people  to  determine  its  own  destiny  that  must  now 
decide  what  steps  should  be  taken  by  way  of  resti- 
tution or  reparation,  and  whatever  territorial  re- 
adjustments may  be  found  to  be  necessary  at  the 
close  of  the  present  war. 

The  Conference  accordingly  emphasizes  the  im- 
portance to  the  labor  and  Socialist  movement  of 
a  clear  and  exact  definition  of  what  is  meant  by  the 
right  of  each  people  to  determine  its  own  destiny. 
Neither  destiny  of  race  nor  identity  of  language  can 
be  regarded  as  affording  more  than  a  presumption 
in  favor  of  federation  or  unification.  During  the 
nineteenth  century  the  theories  of  this  kind  have 
so  often  served  as  a  cloak  for  aggression  that  the 
International  cannot  but  seek  to  prevent  any  recur- 
rence of  such  an  evil.  Any  adjustments  of  bound- 
aries that  become  necessary  must  be  based  exclu- 
sively upon  the  desire  of  the  people  concerned. 

It  is  true  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  necessary 
consultation  of  the  desires  of  the  people  concerned 
to  be  made  in  any  fixed  and  invariable  way  for  all 
the  cases  in  which  it  is  required,  and  that  the  prob- 
lems of  nationality  and  territory  are  not  the  same 
for  the  inhabitants  of  all  countries.  Nevertheless, 
what  is  necessary  in  all  cases  is  that  the  procedure 
to  be  adopted  should  be  decided,  not  by  one  of  the 
parties  to  the  dispute,  but  by  the  super-national 
authority. 

Upon  the  basis  of  the  general  principles  herein 
formulated  the  Conference  proposes  the  following 
solutions  of  particular  problems : 

(a)  Belgium 

The  Conference  emphatically  insists  that  a  foremost 
condition  of  peace  must  be  the  reparation  by  the  German 
government,  under  the  direction  of  an  International  Com- 
mission, of  the  wrong  admittedly  done  to  Belgium;  pay- 
ment by  that  government  for  all  the  damage  that  has 
resulted  from  this  wrong;  and  the  restoration  of  Belgium 
as  an  independent  sovereign  state,  leaving  to  the  decision 
of  the  Belgian  people  the  determination  of  their  own  future 
policy  in  all  respects. 

(b)  Alsace  and  Lorraine 

The  Conference  declares  that  the  problem  of  Alsace  and 
Lorraine  is  not  one  of  territorial  adjustment,  but  one  of 
right,  and  thus  an  international  problem,  the  solution  of 
which  is  indispensable  if  peace  is  to  be  either  just  or  lasting. 

The  Treaty  of  Frankfort  at  one  and  the  same  time 
mutilated  France  and  violated  the  right  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Alsace  and  Lorraine  to  dispose  of  their  own  destinies, 
a  right  which  they  have  repeatedly  claimed. 

The  new  treaty  of  peace,  in  recognizing  that  Germany, 
by  her  declaration  of  war  of  191 4,  has  herself  broken  the 
Treaty  of  Frankfort,  will  make  null  and  void  the  gains  of 
a  brutal  conquest  and  of  the  violence  committed  against 
the  people. 

France,  having  secured  this  recognition,  can  properly 
agree  to  a  fresh  consultation  of  the  population  of  Alsace 
and  Lorraine  as  to  its  own  desires. 

The  treaty  of  peace  will  bear  the  signatures  of  every 


nation  in  the  world.  It  will  be  guaranteed  by  the  League 
of  Nations.  To  this  League  of  Nations  France  is  prepared 
to  remit,  with  the  freedom  and  sincerity  of  a  popular  vote, 
of  which  the  details  can  be  subsequently  settled,  the  organ- 
ization of  such  a  consultation  as  shall  settle  forever,  as  a 
matter  of  right,  the  future  destiny  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine, 
and  as  shall  finally  remove  from  the  common  life  of  all 
Europe  a  quarrel  which  has  imposed  so  heavy  a  burden 
upon  it. 

(c)  The  Balkans 

The  Conference  lays  down  the  principle  that  all  the 
violations  and  perversions  of  the  rights  of  the  people  which 
have  taken  place,  or  are  still  taking  place,  in  the  Balkans 
must  be  made  the  subject  of  redress  or  reparation. 

Serbia,  Montenegro,  Rumania,  Albania  and  all  the  ter- 
ritories occupied  by  military  forces  should  be  evacuated 
by  the  hostile  forces.  Wherever  any  population  of  the 
same  race  and  tongue  demands  to  be  united  this  must  be 
done.  Each  such  people  must  be  accorded  full  liberty  to 
settle  its  own  destiny,  without  regard  to  the  imperialistic 
pretensions  of  Austria,  Hungary,  Turkey  or  other  state. 

Accepting  this  principle,  the  Conference  proposes  that 
the  whole  problem  of  the  administrative  reorganization  of 
the  Balkan  peoples  should  be  dealt  with  by  a  special  con- 
ference of  their  representatives  or  in  case  of  disagreement 
by  an  authoritative  international  commission  on  the  basis 
of  (a)  the  concession  within  each  independent  sovereignty 
of  local  autonomy  and  security  for  the  development  of  its 
particular  civilization  of  every  racial  minority;  (b)  the 
universal  guarantee  of  freedom  or  religion  and  political 
equality  for  all  races;  (c)  a  Customs  and  Postal  Union 
embracing  the  whole  of  the  Balkan  states  with  free  access 
for  each  to  its  natural  seaport;  (d)  the  entry  of  all  the 
Balkan  states  into  a  federation  for  the  concerted  arrange- 
ment by  mutual  agreement  among  themselves  of  all  matters 
of  common  interest. 

(d)  Italy 

The  conference  declares  its  warmest  sympathy  with  the 
people  of  Italian  blood  and  speech  who  have  been  left  out- 
side the  boundaries  that  have,  as  a  result  of  the  diplomatic 
agreements  of  the  past,  and  for  strategic  reasons,  been 
assigned  to  the  Kingdom  of  Italy,  and  supports  their  claim 
to  be  united  with  those  of  their  own  race  and  tongue.  It 
realizes  that  arrangements  may  be  necessary  for  securing 
the  legitimate  interests  of  the  people  of  Italy  in  the  adjacent 
seas,  but  it  condemns  the  aims  of  conquest  of  Italian 
Imperialism  and  believes  that  all  legitimate  needs  can  be 
safeguarded,  without  precluding  a  like  recognition  of  the 
deeds  of  others  or  annexation  of  other  people's  territories. 

Regarding  the  Italian  population  dispersed  on  the 
eastern  shores  of  the  Adriatic,  the  relations  between  Italy 
and  the  Yugo-Slav  populations  must  be  based  on  principles 
of  equity  and  conciliation,  so  as  to  prevent  any  cause  of 
future  quarrel. 

If  there  are  found  to  be  groups  of  Slavonian  race  within 
the  newly  defined  Kingdom  of  Italy  or  groups  of  Italian 
race  in  Slavonian  territory,  mutual  guarantees  must  be 
given  for  the  assurance  of  all  of  them,  on  one  side  or  the 
other,  full  liberty  of  local  self-government  and  of  the 
natural  development  of  their  several  activities. 

(e)  Poland  and  the  Baltic  Provinces 

In  accordance  with  the  right  of  every  people  to  determine 
its  own  destinies,  Poland  must  be  reconstituted  in  unity 
and  independence  with  free  access  to  the  sea. 


[S] 


THE    NEW    REPUBL;C 


The  Conference  declares  further,  that  any  annexation  by 
Germany,  whether  open  or  disguised,  of  Livonia,  Cour- 
land  or  Lithuania  would  be  a  flagrant  and  wholly  inadmis- 
sible violation  of  international  law. 

(f)  The  Jews  and  Palestine 

The  Conference  demands  for  the  Jews  in  all  countries 
the  same  elementary  rights  of  freedom  of  religioh,  educa- 
tion, residence  and  trade  and  equal  citizenship  that  ought 
to  be  extended  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  every  nation.  It 
further  expresses  the  opinion  that  Palestine  should  be  set 
free  from  the  hard  and  oppressive  government  of  the  Turk, 
in  order  that  this  country  may  form  a  Free  State,  under 
international  guarantee,  to  which  such  of  the  Jewish  people 
as  desire  to  do  so  may  return  and  may  work  out  their  own 
salvation  free  from  interference  by  those  of  alien  race  or 
religion. 

(g)  The  Problem  of  the  Turkish  Empire 

The  Conference  condemns  the  handing  back  to  the 
systematically  cruel  domination  of  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment any  subject  people.  Thus,  whatever  may  be  pro- 
posed with  regard  to  Armenia,  Mesopotamia  and  Arabia, 
they  cannot  be  restored  to  the  tyranny  of  the  Sultan  and 
his  Pashas.  The  Conference  condemns  the  imperialist 
aims  of  governments  and  capitalists  who  would  make  of 
these  and  other  territories  now  dominated  by  the  Turkish 
hordes  merely  instruments  either  of  exploitation  or  mili- 
tarism. If  the  peoples  of  these  territories  do  not  feel 
themselves  able  to  settle  their  own  destinies,  the  Con- 
ference insists  that,  conformably  with  the  policy  of  "  no 
annexations,"  they  should  be  placed  for  administration  in 
the  hands  of  a  Commission  acting  under  the  Super-National 
Authority  or  League  of  Nations.  It  is  further  suggested 
that  the  peace  of  the  world  requires  that  the  Dardanelles 
should  be  permanently  and  effectively  neutralized  and 
opened  like  all  the  main  lines  of  marine  communication, 
under  the  control  of  the  League  of  Nations,  freely  to  all 
nations,  without  hindrance  or  customs  duties. 

(h)  Austria-Hungary 

The  Conference  does  not  propose  as  a  war  aim  dismem- 
Herment  of  Austria-Hungary  or  its  deprivation  of  economic 
access  to  the  sea.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Conference 
cannot  admit  that  the  claims  to  independence  made  by  the 
Czecho-Slovaks  and  the  Yugo-Slavs  must  be  regarded 
merely  as  questions  for  internal  decision.  National  inde- 
pendence ought  to  be  accorded,  according  to  rules  to  be 
laid  down  by  the  League  of  Nations,  to  such  peoples  as 
demand  it,  and  these  communities  ought  to  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  determining  their  own  groupings  and  federations 
according  to  their  affinities  and  interests.  If  they  think 
fit  they  are  free  to  substitute  a  free  federation  of  Danubian 
states  for  the  Austro-Hungarian  Empire. 

(i)  The  Colonies  and  Dependencies 

The  International  has  always  condemned  the  colonial 
policy  of  capitalist  governments.  Without  ceasing  to  con- 
demn it,  the  Inter-Allied  Conference  nevertheless  recog- 
nizes the  existence  of  a  state  of  things  which  it  is  obliged 
to  take  into  account. 

The  Conference  considers  that  the  treaty  of  peace  ought 
to  secure  to  the  natives  in  all  colonies  and  dependencies 
effective  protection  against  the  excesses  of  capitalist 
colonialism.  The  Conference  demands  the  concession  of 
administrative  autonomy  for  all  groups  of  people  that  attain 


a  certain  degree  of  civilization,  and  for  all  the  others  a 
progressive  participation  in  local  government. 

The  Conference  is  of  opinion  that  the  return  of  the 
colonies  to  those  who^possessed  them  before  the  war,  or 
the  exchange  or  compensations  which  might  be  effected, 
ought  not  to  be  an  obstacle  to  the  making  of  peace. 

Those  colonies  that  have  been  taken  by  conquest  from 
any  belligerent  must  be  made  the  subject  of  special  con- 
sideration at  the  Peace  Conference,  as  to  which  the  com- 
munities in  their  neighborhood  will  be  entitled  to  take 
part.  But  the  clause  in  the  treaty  of  peace  on  this  point 
must  secure  economic  equality  in  such  territories  for  the 
peoples  of  all  nations,  and  thereby  guarantee  that  none  are 
shut  out  from  legitimate  access  to  raw  materials ;  prevented 
from  disposing  of  their  own  products,  or  deprived  of  their 
proper  share  of  economic  development. 

As  regards  more  especially  the  colonies  of  all  the 
belligerents  in  Tropical  Africa,  from  sea  to  sea,  including 
the  whole  of  the  region  north  of  the  Zambesi  and  south 
of  the  Sahara,  the  Conference  condemns  any  imperialist 
idea  which  would  make  these  countries  the  booty  of  one 
or  several  nations,  exploit  them  for  the  profit  of  the  capi- 
talist or  use  them  for  the  promotion  of  the  militarist  aims 
of  the  governments. 

With  respect  to  these  colonies  the  Conference  declares 
in  favor  of  a  system  of  control,  established  by  international 
agreement,  under  the  League  of  Nations  and  maintained  by 
its  guarantee,  which,  whilst  respecting  national  sovereignty, 
would  be  alike  inspired  by  broad  conceptions  of  economic 
freedom  and  concerned  to  safeguard  the  rights  of  the 
natives  under  the  best  conditions  possible  for  them,  and  in 
particular : 

( 1 )  It  would  take  account  in  each  locality  of  the  wishes 
of  the  people,  expressed  in  the  form  which  is  possible  for 
them. 

(2)  The  interests  of  the  native  tribes  as  regards  the 
ownership  of  the  soil  would  be  maintained. 

(3)  The  whole  of  the  revenues  would  be  devoted  to 
the  well-being  and  development  of  the  colonies  themselves. 

Economic  Relations 

IV.  The  Inter-Allied  Conference  declares 
against  all  the  projects  now  being  prepared  by  im- 
perialists and  capitalists,  not  in  any  one  country 
only,  but  in  most  countries,  for  an  economic  war, 
after  peace  has  been  secured,  either  against  one  or 
other  foreign  nation  or  against  all  foreign  nations, 
as  such  an  economic  war,  if  begun  by  any  country, 
would  inevitably  lead  to  reprisals,  to  which  each 
nation  in  turn  might  in  self-defense  be  driven.  The 
main  lines  of  marine  communication  should  be  open 
without  hindrance  to  vessels  of  all  nations  under  the 
protection  of  the  League  of  Nations.  The  Confer- 
ence reahzes  that  all  attempts  at  economic  aggres- 
sion, whether  by  protective  tariffs  or  capitalist  trusts 
or  monopolies,  inevitably  result  in  the  spoliation  of 
the  working  classes  of  the  several  countries  for  the 
profit  of  the  capitalists;  and  the  working  class  see 
in  the  alliance  between  the  military  imperialists 
and  the  fiscal  protectionists  in  any  country  what- 
soever not  only  a  serious  danger  to  the  prosperity 
of  the  masses  of  the  people,  but  also  a  grave  menace 


m 


THE    NEW    REPUBLIC 


to  peace.  On  the  other  hand,  the  right  of  each  na- 
tion to  the  defense  of  its  own  economic  interests, 
and  in  face  of  the  world-shortage  hereinafter  men- 
tioned, to  the  conservation  for  its  own  people  of  a 
sufficiency  of  its  own  supplies  of  foodstuffs  and  raw 
materials,  cannot  be  denied.  The  Conference  ac- 
cordingly urges  upon  the  labor  and  Socialist  par- 
ties of  all  countries  the  importance  of  insisting,  in 
the  attitude  of  the  gpvernment  towards  commercial 
enterprise,  along  with  the  necessary  control  of  sup- 
plies for  its  own  people,  on  the  principle  of  the  open 
door,  and  without  hostile  discrimination  against 
foreign  countries.  But  it  urges  equally  the  impor- 
tance, not  merely  of  conservation,  but  also  of  the 
utmost  possible  development,  by  appropriate  gov- 
ernment action,  of  the  resources  of  every  country 
for  the  benefit  not  only  of  its  own  people,  but  also 
of  the  world,  and  the  need  for  an  international 
agreement  for  the  enforcement  in  all  countries  of 
the  legislation  on  factory  conditions,  a  maximum 
eight-hour  day,  the  prevention  of  "  sweating  "  and 
unhealthy  trades  necessary  to  protect  the  workers 
against  exploitation  and  oppression,  and  the  pro- 
hibition of  night  work  by  women  and  children. 

The  Problems  of  Peace 

V.  To  make  the  world  safe  for  democracy  in- 
volves much  more  than  the  prevention  of  war, 
either  military  or  economic.  It  will  be  a  device 
of  the  capitalist  interests  to  pretend  that  the  treaty 
of  peace  need  concern  itself  only  with  the  cessation 
of  the  struggles  of  the  armed  forces  and  with  any 
necessary  territorial  readjustments.  The  Inter- 
Allied  Conference  insists  that  in  view  of  the  prob- 
able world-wide  shortage,  after  the  war,  of  export- 
able foodstuffs  and  raw  materials,  and  of  merchant 
shipping,  it  is  imperative,  in  order  to  prevent  the 
most  serious  hardships,  and  even  possible  famine, 
in  one  country  or  another,  that  systematic  arrange- 
ments should  be  made  on  an  international  basis  for 
the  allocation  and  conveyance  of  the  available  ex- 
portable surpluses  of  these  commodities  to  the  dif- 
ferent countries,  in  proportion,  not  to  their  purchas- 
ing powers,  but  to  their  several  pressing  needs ;  and 
that,  within  each  country,  the  government  must  for 
some  time  maintain  its  control  of  the  most  in- 
dispensable commodities,  in  order  to  secure  their 
appropriation,  not  in  a  competitive  market  mainly 
to  the  richer  classes  in  proportion  to  their  means, 
but,  systematically,  to  meet  the  most  urgent  needs 
of  the  whole  community  on  the  principle  of  "  no 
cake  for  anyone  until  all  have  bread." 

Moreover,  it  cannot  but  be  anticipated  that,  in  all 
countries,  the  dislocation  of  industry  attendant  on 
peace,  the  instant  discharge  of  millions  of  munition 
makers  and  workers  in  war  trades,  and  the  demo- 
bilization of  millions  of  soldiers — in  face  of  the 


scarcity  of  industrial  capital,  the  shortage  of  raw 
materials,  and  the  insecurity  of  commercial  enter- 
prise— will,  unless  prompt  and  energetic  action  be 
taken  by  the  several  governments,  plunge  a  large 
part  of  the  wage-earning  population  into  all  the 
miseries  of  unemployment  more  or  less  prolonged. 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  widespread  unemployment 
in  any  country,  like  a  famine,  is  an  injury  not  to  that 
country  alone,  but  impoverishes  also  the  rest  of  the 
world,  the  Conference  holds  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
every  government  to  take  immediate  action,  not 
merely  to  relieve  the  unemployed,  when  unemploy- 
ment has  set  in,  but  actually,  so  far  as  may  be  prac- 
ticable, to  prevent  the  occurrence  of  unemployment. 
It  therefore  urges  upon  the  labor  parties  of  every 
country  the  necessity  of  their  pressing  upon  their 
governments  the  preparation  of  plans  for  the  execu- 
tion of  all  the  innumerable  public  works  (such  as 
the  making  and  repairing  of  roads,  railways  and 
waterways,  the  erection  of  schools  and  public  build- 
ings, the  provision  of  working-class  dwellings  and 
the  reclamation  and  afforestation  of  land)  that  will 
be  required  in  the  near  future,  not  for  the  sake  of 
finding  measures  of  relief  for  the  unemployed,  but 
with  a  view  to  these  works  being  undertaken  at 
such  a  rate  in  each  locality  as  will  suffice,  together 
with  the  various  capitalist  enterprises  that  may  be 
in  progress,  to  maintain  at  a  fairly  uniform  level 
year  by  year,  and  throughout  each  year,  the  aggre- 
gate demand  for  labor;  and  thus  prevent  there  being 
any  unemployed.  It  is  now  known  that  in  this  way 
It  is  quite  possible  for  any  government  to  prevent, 
if  it  chooses,  the  occurrence  of  any  widespread  or 
prolonged  involuntary  unemployment;  which  if  it  is 
now  in  any  country  allowed  to  occur,  is  as  much  the 
result  of  government  neglect  as  is  any  epidemic 
disease. 

Restoration  of  the  Devastated  Areas 
and  Reparation  of  Wrongdoing 

VI.  The  Inter-Allied  Conference  holds  that  one 
of  the  most  imperative  duties  of  all  countries  imme- 
diately peace  is  declared  will  be  the  restoration,  so 
far  as  may  be  possible,  of  the  homes,  farms,  fac- 
tories, public  buildings  and  means  of  communica- 
tion whatever  destroyed  by  war  operations ;  that  the 
restoration  should  not  be  limited  to  compensation 
for  public  buildings,  capitalist  undertakings  and  ma- 
terial property  proved  to  be  destroyed  or  damaged, 
but  should  be  extended  to  setting  up  the  wage- 
earners  and  peasants  themselves  in  homes  and  em- 
ployment; and  that  to  insure  the  full  and  impartial 
application  of  these  principles  the  assessment  and 
distribution  of  the  compensation,  so  far  xs  the 
cost  is  contributed  by  any  international  fund,  should 
be  made  under  the  direction  of  an  international 
Commission. 


[71 


THE    NEW    REPUBLIC 


The  Conference  will  not  be  satisfied  unless  there 
is  a  full  and  free  judicial  investigation  into  the  accu- 
sations made  on  all  sides  that  particular  govern- 
ments have  ordered,  and  particular  officers  have  ex- 
ercised, acts  of  cruelty,  oppression,  violence  and 
theft  against  invididual  victims,  for  which  no  justifi- 
cation can  be  found  In  the  ordinary  usages  of  war. 
It  draws  attention  in  particular  to  the  loss  of  life 
and  property  of  merchant  seamen  and  other  non- 
combatants  (including  women  and  children)  result- 
ing from  this  inhuman  and  ruthless  conduct.  It 
should  be  part  of  the  conditions  of  peace  that  there 
should  be  forthwith  set  up  a  Court  of  Claims  and 
Accusations,  which  should  investigate  all  such  alle- 
gations as  may  be  brought  before  it,  summon  the 
accused  person  or  government  to  answer  the  com- 
plaint, to  pronounce  judgment,  and  award  compen- 
sation or  damages,  payable  by  the  individual  or 
government  condemned,  to  the  persons  who  had 
suffered  wrong,  or  to  their  dependents.  The  sev- 
eral governments  must  be  responsible,  financially 
and  otherwise,  for  the  presentation  of  the  cases  of 
their  respective  nationals  to  such  a  Court  of  Claims 
and  Accusations,  and  for  the  payment  of  the  com- 
pensation awarded. 

International  Conference 

VII.  The  Inter-Allied  Conference  Is  of  opinion 
that  an  International  Conference  of  Labor  and  So- 
cialist organizations,  held  under  proper  conditions, 
would  at  this  stage  render  useful  service  to  world 
democracy  by  assisting  to  remove  misunderstand- 
ings, as  well  as  the  obstacles  which  stand  In  the  way 
of  world  peace. 

Awaiting  the  resumption  of  the  normal  activities 
of  the  International  Socialist  Bureau,  we  consider 
that  an  International  Conference,  held  during  the 
period  of  hostilities,  should  be  organized  by  a  com- 
mittee whose  impartiality  cannot  be  questioned. 
It  should  be  held  in  a  neutral  country,  under  such 
conditions  as  would  Inspire  confidence ;  and  the  Con- 
ference should  be  fully  representative  of  all  the 
labor  and  Socialist  movement  in  all  the  belligerent 
countries  accepting  the  conditions  under  which  the 
Conference  is  convoked. 

As  an  essential  condition  to  an  International  Con- 
ference the  Commission  Is  of  opinion  that  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  Conference  should  satisfy  them- 
selves that  all  the  organizations  to  be  represented 
put  In  precise  form,  by  a  public  declaration,  their 
peace  terms  in  conformity  with  the  principles  "  no 
annexations  or  punitive  indemnities,  and  the  right 
of  all  peoples  to  self-determination,"  and  that  they 
are  working  with  all  their  power  to  obtain  from 


their  governments  the  necessary  guarantees  to 
apply  those  principles  honestly  and  unreservedly 
to  all  questions  to  be  dealt  with  at  any  official  peace 
conference. 

In  view  of  the  vital  differences  between  the  Allied 
countries  and  the  Central  Powers,  the  Commission 
is  of  opinion  that  it  is  highly  advisable  that  the  Con- 
ference should  be  used  to  provide  an  opportunity 
for  the  delegates  from  the  respective  countries  now 
In  a  state  of  war  to  make  a  full  and  frank  statement 
of  their  present  position  and  future  intentions,  and 
to  endeavor  by  mutual  agreement  to  arrange  a  pro- 
gramme of  action  for  a  speedy  and  democratic 
peace. 

The  Conference  is  of  opinion  that  the  working 
classes,  having  made  such  sacrifices  during  the  war, 
are  entitled  to  take  part  in  securing  a  democratic 
world  peace,  and  that  M.  Albert  Thomas  (France) , 
M.  Emile  Vandervelde  (Belgium)  and  Mr.  Arthur 
Henderson  (Great  Britain)  be  appointed  as  a 
commission  to  secure  from  all  the  governments  a 
promise  that  at  least  one  representative  of  Labor 
and  Socialism  will  be  Included  in  the  official  repre- 
sentation at  any  government  conference,  and  to  or- 
ganize a  Labor  and  Socialist  representation  to  sit 
concurrently  with  the  official  conference;  further, 
that  no  country  be  entitled  to  more  than  four  repre- 
sentatives at  such  conference. 

The  Conference  regrets  the  absence  of  represen- 
tatives of  American  labor  and  Socialism  from  the 
Inter-Allied  Conference,  and  urges  the  importance 
of  securing  their  approval  of  the  decisions  reached. 
With  this  object  in  view,  the  Conference  agrees 
that  a  deputation,  consisting  of  one  representative! 
from  France,  Belgium,  Italy  and  Great  Britain, 
together  with  Camille  Huysmans  (Secretary  of  the 
International  Socialist  Bureau),  proceed  to  the] 
United  States  at  once,  In  order  to  confer  wit!  rep- 
resentatives of  the  American  democracy  on  thej 
whole  situation  of  the  war. 

The  Conference  resolves  to  transmit  to  the  So-I 
elalists  of  the  Central  Empires  and  of  the  nations] 
allied  with  them  the  memorandtmi  in  which  the  I 
Conference  has  defined  the  conditions  of  peace,  con- 1 
formably  with  the  principles  of  Socialist  and  inter- 1 
national  justice.  The  Conference  is  convinced  that! 
these  conditions  will  commend  themselves  on  reflec-| 
tion  to  the  mind  of  every  Socialist,  and  the  Confer- 
ence asks  for  the  answer  of  the  Socialists  of  thej 
Central  Empires,  in  the  hope  that  these  will  jolnj 
without  delay  In  a  joint  effort  of  the  International,! 
which  has  now  become  more  than  ever  the  best  andl 
the  most  certain  Instrument  of  democracy  and  peace.] 
[the  end] 


[8] 


371133      -I  Q 


-^=:>^^^^:s:-r  ~  ojS^^  1 


Wive^sRY  ^  €Ayp^Ni^  vi^mm 


